


A Conversation

by XianFrost



Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Alec lives AU, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-13
Updated: 2017-04-13
Packaged: 2018-10-18 14:22:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10618752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/XianFrost/pseuds/XianFrost
Summary: It starts with Drack and the Pathfinder talking.





	

"Kesh says your daughter got into an argument with that ass Spender last night." Drack's voice cut through the quiet of the Nomad, shaking Jaal from the small nap he had almost fallen into. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes, looking around from his seat. They were still going over the dunes of Eos, the signal of they were following was closer now but still a bit far off from what he could see of the map.

"I wouldn't call giving him a bloody nose an 'argument.' I'm surprised Kandros didn't get involved." Alec Ryder's voice was dry but Jaal could see he had a small smile on his face. A very rare sight indeed from what he knew about the human.

Drack laughed. "Why should he get involved? The entire hydroponics team she was with said it was self-defense and that he moved first." Drack's smile fell from his face. "He was griping about her and the other techies repairing a power coupling that was malfunctioning."

"That power coupling went to one of the water purifiers." Alec turned the Nomad to avoid a Remnant pillar jutting out of the ground. "You would think a man who was on strict rations for over a year would want everything running smoothly."

Jaal had heard Drack complain about this Spender more than once before and it wasn't just him. Vetra and Lexi had both apparently had their path's cross with him. Lexi had just sighed when Jaal had asked her and Vetra had plainly called the human an ass. Jaal had never personally met him but he already didn't like him.

But that was not part of the conversation that had caught his interest.

"You have a daughter?" He asked, after waiting to see if their conversation would pick back up.

Alec was quiet, eyes darting down away from the expanse of empty space they were driving over. "... Yeah. She and her brother are aboard the Nexus right now."

Jaal leaned forward as much as his seat belt would allow to give the Pathfinder his attention. Alec Ryder rarely ever talked about himself or his family. Jaal had silently assumed Ryder was like the other humans on the crew, who had left their own small families behind in the Milky Way. He would admit that he was very curious over these new Ryder's.

"You... never talk about them." Jaal pushed through the awkward silence growing in the Nomad. "What are they like?"

"Well," Alec removed one of his hands to run it through his grey hair. "They're about your age. Sara is the older of the two, but Scott is the tallest. Both of them were in the Alliance military." Jaal frowned slightly at how awkward and off guard Alec sounded at describing his children.

Minutes passed. Drack had turned his attention to the sandy landscape while Jaal was still waiting patiently for the older human who was frowning. Alec's gaze had returned to out of the windshield but Jaal could tell he was thinking hard.


End file.
